one edition photography interview

Meet the Real One Edition Photography

Behind the scenes with Raf and Meg

When a vendor applies to be a member of the Mountainside Guide, I not only look at their bride reviews, I also ask for professional references. In small mountain towns, if a vendor isn’t recommended by their peers, there is a big problem. Not only are Meg and Raf ofOne Edition Photography respected in Canmore, here’s an example of how their colleagues feel about their work:

Meg and Raf from One Edition go out of their way to ensure that their clients are taken care of, and that wedding photography is not on their list of worries. They work very well with other vendors as well. They are accommodating, understanding, punctual, organized, creative and talented. I would wholeheartedly recommend them to any couple.

one edition photography interview

MSB: Tell us a bit about yourself

We are Raf & Meg. We’ve been married for 6 years, are the proud parents to two sweet puppers: Kaia & Mara. We’re so, so excited to fulfill a dream of working together to create One Edition Photography.

Raf is an ice climber, alpinist, and back country adventurer, and can be found exploring the mountains when not photographing weddings & special events. He writes and reviews alpine gear through his project – The Alpine Start, and he is a total gear head (he has more backpacks and shoes than Meg has bags and shoes!). He has a keen culinary interest and loves to create delicious meals, much to Meg’s delight!

Meg has discovered the joy of long distance biking, SUP’ing, and after 3 years of prompting by Raf, ice climbing! She also is taking her yoga teacher training here in Banff, Meg recently completed her Masters of Counseling and is working as a Registered Provisional Psychologist in the area of chronic pain. To Raf’s cheffing, Meg is the baker in the family, creating sweet treats, much to Raf’s delight!

Together, Meg & Raf love playing Settlers of Catan (anyone up for a game? :-), sipping wine, hosting dinner parties with friends, listening to music + going to house concerts, laughing (we laugh a lot!), hiking + exploring with Kaia & Mara, and throwing epic theme parties such as their Alice in Wonderland Mad Hatter Tea Party (complete with life size card army made by Meg) and their annual Ugly Christmas Sweater Party. They are also very involved as both volunteers and supporters of community organizations, events, and initiatives in both Banff & Canmore.

Raf is originally from Poland, Meg grew up on Vancouver Island, British Columbia, and they met in Halifax, Nova Scotia in 2007. Engaged 6 months later, they were married in an eco-chic DIY wedding at Meg’s childhood home in Campbell River (and yes, Raf was the photographer!).

Travellers at heart, they now reside permanently in Canmore, Alberta, situated within the Bow Valley of the Canadian Rocky Mountains where they find daily inspiration in Nature and the love they share as they live out their dreams.

Canmore Engagement | One Edition Photography

MSB: How would you describe your style?

Raf’s approach is a mix of photo-journalism and fine-art landscape photography to yield authentically real photos imbued with Nature.

MSB: Does your business have a tagline?

One Couple. One Love. One Story.

MSB: What do you like most about photographing/planning/working in the mountains? 

From sprawling mountain vistas to intimate secluded forests, and even interesting and rapidly changing weather systems (truly, it can rain, snow, sleet, hail, and be sunny all in a matter of an hour here!), Raf loves the challenge, the beauty, and the raw power of the mountains. He draws much inspiration from working in the mountains, and views them not only a backdrop but also subject featuring prominently in his photography.

MSB: How did you get into weddings and what do you love about them? 

It sounds cliched, but Raf was given a camera when he was 16 years old and from that point forward, immersed himself. After years in photojournalism through University, he transitioned into weddings in 2007 after photographing a friend’s wedding. and realizing how much he enjoyed wedding photography – the jovial vibe, celebration, fun, excitement, and the challenge of having only one ‘shot’ so to speak for the day

Having photographed weddings from Vancouver Island to Newfoundland and in between for the first 3 years on his own, we relaunched as One Edition Photography at the beginning of 2011 when we moved to the Canadian Rockies.

We love the connections we have with our couples. We feel it an incredible privilege to be chosen to photograph a couple’s day and to be invited into their worlds around one of the biggest days of their lives and so definitely, our connection with our couples fuels us and brings us so much joy, laughter, and fun, especially as many of our couples become dear friends and we have dinner dates, go camping, enjoy scotch tastings or dog park dates! :-) Of course, the silly fun answer is that Raf’s favourite part about a wedding would likely be dessert, hehe…

Robyn and Nate | One Edition Photography

MSB: Do you have a favorite quote?

So many to love between us – but nothing that jumps out specifically. One thing that came to me was that we chose to have e.e. cummings’ poem “I carry your heart with me” at our wedding –

i carry your heart with me(i carry it in
my heart)i am never without it(anywhere
i go you go,my dear;and whatever is done
by only me is your doing,my darling)
i fear
no fate(for you are my fate,my sweet)i want
no world(for beautiful you are my world,my true)
and it’s you are whatever a moon has always meant
and whatever a sun will always sing is you

here is the deepest secret nobody knows
(here is the root of the root and the bud of the bud
and the sky of the sky of a tree called life;which grows
higher than soul can hope or mind can hide)
and this is the wonder that’s keeping the stars apart

i carry your heart(i carry it in my heart)

MSB: What’s your favorite thing to do in the mountains?

Our most favourite season here is Winter for playtime in the mountains. Raf’s most favourite mountain activity is ice or mixed climbing and alpine adventures to the tops of the many peaks you see here in the Bow Valley/Canadian Rockies parks. My favourite activity is SUP on the Canmore Reservoir or . Together, we enjoy hikes and exploration adventures with our pups, Kaia and Mara – who love to walk, run, and play in the mountains as much as they possibly can in a day! :-)

Post Hotel Lake Louise Elopement | One Edition Photography

What are 3 things you can’t leave home without?

  • Cup of tea,
  • Phone charging cord (we learned from the Flood last year how important this is; everyone had their phones but no way to charge them ;-),
  • and a toque

MSB: What’s your guilty pleasure?

We’re big foodies and love to enjoy culinary adventures of tasty eats and delish drinks!

MSB: What’s your best accessory?

Raf would likely list something about backpacks, ice axes or crampons here, hahaha. I love my vintage and vintage inspired fasincator collection.

MSB: What’s your best mistake?

Taking a wrong turn on the backroads of the Rockies – we ended up seeing 8 black bears and 1 grizzly bear as we made our way back to the right road!

MSB: What’s your favorite wedding trend this season?

We’re loving Winter weddings, especially as the Rockies look sooooo pretty with snowcapped peaks set against the often clear bluebird skies and golden bright sunshine. We’ve also noticed a move towards smaller, intimate elopement-style celebrations amongst destination couples that still have all the elements of a more traditional wedding such as the flowers, the dress, attention to details/decor items. So fun!

MSB: OK, be honest… is there a wedding trend you’d like to see disappear forever?

Honestly, we can’t think of one! Maybe cause we’re in the photographer category, this is less of an issue for us …. :-)

MSB: What’s your best advice for destination brides planning a mountain wedding?

I sound like my mom nagging me about dressing properly for the weather when I was a kid but it’s absolutely true – plan and be prepared for all different weather to happen no matter the time of year. It can snow every month in the Rockies – in fact, we had 20 cms fall in one day on September 10th! It’s super pretty and awesome but if you’re planning an outdoor wedding, it can be a bit discombobulating to see snow in Summer :-) That and bring a pair of shoes that you can walk in and switch in and out of your heels or dress shoes so they don’t get muddy and so you can have better balance walking off the beaten path for those truly awesome, more unique areas. The Rockies and Banff National Park offer so many gorgeous views, areas, and backdrops just steps from the paved, beaten paths :-)


Mountainside Guide

Mountainside Bride Preferred vendorsOne Edition Photography is a distinguished member of the Mountainside Guide, an exclusive vendor directory featuring the best and most reliable mountain wedding vendors in North America. Mountainside Guide members are screened and vetted for quality of work, reliability, and professionalism, both among their peers and on review web sites.
See One Edition Photography’s portfolio HERE.